Uttarakhand rains: Dehradun Defence College building collapses; video captures exact moment of crash

The Dehradun Defence College collapsed within seconds after incessant rains battered the state. The video of the red building collapsing has garnered tens of thousands of views on social media. 

The college is located at the foothills of the Garhwal Himalayas and Shivalik mountain ranges. The college prepares students for NDA and defence services exams, apart from IIT and technical courses. 

The Dehradun Defence College enabled 15 students to join the NDA services by clearing the SSB exams successfully in 2020-21. It offers foundation courses for NDA after 8th and 10th and training for SSB or Sashastra Seema Bal. 

The collapse of the building comes amid a red alert –  a warning for extremely bad weather conditions – for heavy rains in six districts of Uttarakhand, including Dehradun and Nainital. So far 60 people have lost their lives in the incessant monsoon showers, and 17 have been reported missing. 

A red alert has been sounded in the Tehri, Dehradun, Pauri, Champawat, Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar districts, while an orange alert has been sounded in Haridwar.  

The government has asked the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) to remain alert and offer their assistance in any case of emergency. Schools have been closed in Dehradun and Champawat districts. 

Meanwhile, the heavy rains have also triggered landslides that have in turn, blocked traffic in various roads and national highways. 

As many as 1,169 houses have been damaged and a large amount of agricultural land has been washed away. 

Also read: Weather Update: IMD warns of heavy rains in THIS state, issues red alert; schools, colleges closed

Also read: Heavy rains lash Himachal Pradesh, trigger landslides, floods; orange alert issued

Also read: Uttarakhand rains: 5 pilgrims on way to Kedarnath killed in landslide; IMD issues 'red' alert in several districts